American Idol: All Four Judges and Nigel Lythgoe Will Be Fired

Another report, this time from The Wrap, reports that ALL FOUR judges will be fired, No more big salaries for Divas (NO JLo, despite reports) and long-time producer, Nigel Lythgoe, will get the boot.

None of the four judges on the singing competition will be asked to return next season, an individual with knowledge of Fox’s plans told The Wrap. Longtime producer Nigel Lythgoe is expected to get the boot. And despite reports to the contrary, Fox isn’t even considering bringing former judge Jennifer Lopez back as a lifesaver for next season.

“All four are gone,” the insider told TheWrap. “They feel they’ve lost their core audience and they want it back.”

All four judges have options to return for another season, but Fox won’t be picking them up, according to the knowledgeable individual, who said: “No more big checks for divas.”

Behind the scenes, Fox Broadcasting chairman Kevin Reilly is charged with “fixing Idol.” And one of the first changes will occur at the top of the food chain: Longtime executive producer Lythgoe is expected to be replaced.

Kevin Reilly tried to fix Idol last year. If they were interested in keeping their “core audience” happy, they wouldn’t have hired Nicki Minaj as judge.

If the execs are planning to bring on 4 new judges, hopefully there will be some chemistry testing before the hires. Make sure the panel members are not only knowledgeable, but can get along and can play off each other in an entertaining way.

As far as Nigel Lythgoe leaving–this year was such a cluster-fuck, I suppose he’s the inevitable fall guy. But so many of the big decisions–like which judges to hire–were taken out of his hands, I don’t believe he was totally to blame for the misfires. As long as stupid decisions keep coming down from the top, hiring a new exec producer isn’t going to help much.

Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted.I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!

Best news ever. I did not like Nicki on the judges panel (so unprofessional and annoying) this season at all. Glad that some intervention is being made b/c it(show) was surely dying and the numbers proves it. Thanks mj for the update.

http://twitter.com/eilonwya10 Eilonwy

I suspect at this point, we have the same unsourced rumors chasing one another’s tails.

Dumping several of the judges is better than 50/50 on plausibility but it doesn’t take a true inside source to figure that out.

I’ll believe Lythgoe’s being fired when I see it happen. And I’m not poppin’ bottles over it until he’s replaced with a producer who’s under age 40 and a serious musichead.

fuzzywuzzy

Yeah, but if they are going to fire Nigel, then for sure, Ken should be fired too.

EliteHalien

I’m sick of these reports. It happened last year and the year before, and EVERY time I get my hopes up that changes will actually be made, but NO – It’s the SAME deal every year.

If you want me to believe these reports FOX, then follow through on your allegations.

And, if they refuse to listen to viewer feedback then I relish the moment when The Voice steals Idol’s spot at the lunch table. The best thing for Idol right now is some tough love.

Mateja Praznik

Bloooooodbath.

http://twitter.com/happylittlefish Amy Beth

Please, please ,please do not conduct the search for new judges in public. No ridiculous rumors. No trial balloons. No wish lists. Ask the people you want, negotiate and then announce the deals.

Bob

After all the bias towards certain contestants, the busing of others and the clear attempt to make sure a female wins everyone deserves to go.

http://twitter.com/hawkscool8 John S

They should fire whoever thought it was a good idea to put Nicki and Mariah on the same panel.

fuzzywuzzy

FOX misjudged how much of a turn-off Nicki would be to the core Idol audience. I personally know of 3 people who have watched Idol from the start (within the desired demo) who boycotted the show this year because they couldn’t stand Nicki. IF Nicki had been able to bring in enough younger viewers to compensate for the loss of core viewers, then the gamble would have paid off, but it didn’t work out that way.

TLB

Those people are too nice to be effective judges. It takes a certain carefree attitude to be able to give your honest opinion without fear of backlash, which is why the relatively unknown Simon Cowell was able to succeed. P!nk touched on this and it’s a good point because as celebrities with existing careers, they have a lot to lose. And P!nk’s one of the bravest who-gives-a-fuck celebrities out there.

The mentioned people are probably capable of picking out things contestants can improve on, but I would expect their critiques to be a sugar coated constructive criticisms prefaced and footnoted by lots of compliments and Mariah-esque “but I think you’re great anyway”.

http://twitter.com/bluinjewin Landon Cox

Ken needs to go too. I like Keith and Nicki’s chemistry though =

EliteHalien

Ken and frankly the whole of Freemantle need to be banished from tv and sent into exile on some remote island, Most Dangerous Game style.

I agree with your Nigel sentiments somewhat, but I disagree with you and MJ on this. It doesn’t change the fact that Nigel’s been the figurehead behind some of the show’s most blatant manipulations and as long term fan, I’m sick of the heavy manipulation. Obviously it’s inevitable with any reality show, but in recent seasons it’s become more prominent than EVER. So I’d like to see Nigel reduced to some sort of consulting position for a new production team to ease the transition.

Honestly, I just think a new production team and show runners will help the show FEEL fresh again! That’s why every is so enamoured with the Voice recently – not necessarily because it’s the best show (that’s up to individual interpretation), but because it just feels younger and more exciting (recent song choices notwithstanding). And perception is often mistaken for reality…

bridgette12

Good news finally for Idol. No JLo, four new judges and no Nigel seems like it’s too good to be true. Whether Nigel stays or go is secondary to certain other things that need to be fixed. Jennifer not returning and replacing the four judges would be a great start to reviving this show from this dire situation. I think they need to spend a little bit more time determining what their criteria is to be a good judge. They should know by now, that money can’t buy you a good judge. Look for personalities first, next make sure they can work with others and don’t get a lot of pretty faces and find out there’s nothing going on inside of their pretty heads. Last but not least, I do think they need to keep the themes, but just update them. Hire someone a lot younger than Jimmy, who will help the Idols find songs each week and give them advice when needed. Stop being so controlling and give the kids some leeway to experiment and show some originality.

richhahn

Seacrest too, I hope.

http://twitter.com/tinawinabina Tinawina

If they keep Ken but lose Nigel I smell massive trainwrecks ahead.

Network Exec driven “retools” almost never work. They need a talented producer at the helm and then to step away and let the person do their job,

This will not end well methinks.

nncw

They should hire articulate judges who focus on the contestants – pretty obvious right? They should hire producers who are creative without being manipulative. There are some shows on PBS where they focus on growth of the performers. They should forget about back stories, contestants who are the brunt of jokes and mockery. I think Usher when he talks about showmanship to his contestants it really does seem to bring them out, whereas just critiquing fashion style once they are on the stage is not working for me.

BBchez

Just give me Adam Lambert, pink, some music producer (maybe Dr.Luke?), and Michael slezack and I’ll be good.

BBchez

Actually swap out michael for shania twain

Larc

I like everything in that news story. I’d like it even better if mention was made that Ken Warwick and Ray Chew will also get be canned. If Rickey Minor doesn’t move to NYC with The Tonight Show early next year, I wouldn’t mind seeing him back at Idol.

fuzzywuzzy

Yeah, Ken needs to go too, for sure.

bridgette12

They need judges who are willing and able to give an opinion and not worry about hurting someone’s feeling. All of these good ole boys are not what Idol need. The show is dying as it is, don’t need country’s version of a hoe down to finally kill it off. One country judge is enough and he’s pretty much been overwhelmed and made obsolete among those two women. If they are going to get a country judge, get one with some balls, not a pretty face with not much going on behind it.

tigervixxxen

Nigel is responsibe for the entire feel of the show. I get judge decisions are not his but it’s not about the judges, the problems go way deeper than that.

johnkay

I doubt Jimmy Fallon would leave the Roots but maybe Rickey Minor will work for the host that replaces Jimmy at 12:35

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1271452500 Cary Gonzalez

I think that the trouble with Idol has more to do with the same-old-thing season after season than with the USELESS judges, which frankly, they ALL have been useless with the exception of Simon who told the truth now and then. Hours and hours of “bad auditions”, great singers not being chosen to go to Hollywood or sent packing in Hollywood over mediocre ones. The obvious pimping of certain “chosen ones” over other contestants, the same old tired “themes” over and over, ad nauseum. This season, the manipulation to GUARANTEE a female winner was over the top and even the naive segment of the audience who still believes the votes mean anything have grown weary of it all.

Last night’s show was disastrous on so many levels….the blatant “bussing” of Kree was beyond anything I’d ever seen on this show. One song about Goodbyes and the other one about grave digging???? Really? To a woman who’s lost both her parents??? I like Candice but she was ALL OVER THE PLACE last night. I CRINGED as she murdered the melody, timing and high notes on Somewhere. Chosen One Angie Cyrus pretended to play the piano one-handed for one song and then proceeded to hump the piano bench for the rest of the song. Wow.

I think they need to put this show out of its misery once and for all.

tigervixxxen

That would be total garbage. Ken is just as much the problem too.

shell29

I agree…tell them both to kick rocks. Nigel might not be completely to blame but change is needed across the board to breathe new life into this show. Otherwise they need to go ahead and pull the plug.

http://twitter.com/hawkscool8 John S

What’s wrong with Ray Chew? I don’t notice a difference between him and Rickey.

lotrisneat

I haven’t missed a single episode of American Idol since season one. Yet last night, I chose to DVR the Voice results and a new episode of Larry the Cable Guy over the American Idol Top Three performance. And its not because AI is lacking in talent this year. I think all five girls this year have been top-notch, but the feel of the show is off for me. I can’t stand Nicki and Mariah and their constant eye-rolling and smirking. The Voice has proven that you can have big stars AND chemistry. The difference is that the coaches on the Voice are A) not manufactured and B) there for the talent, and not for their own self-promotion.

Sue tiedemann

I would love Harry Connick Jr. to be one of the judges. He got along so well with Kree, Candice and Angie. I think he would make it very interesting and would get along with any other judge. I think Nikki was the worst choice. Shanniah might be another good choice for judge. Garth Brrooks would be great also but I don’t think he would want to be involved.

lotrisneat

Oh, and the show doesn’t need four new judges. It only needs three. A producer, an artist, and an A&R guy. Kinda like Simon, Paula, and Randy, but without Simon’s ego, Paula’s lunacy, and Randy’s incomprehensibility.

standtotheright

I maintain that they *wanted* her to be a turnoff to some of the audience. They figured the 50+ folks wouldn’t get her or want her and it would age the show down and change the voting patterns. In this, they were at least partially correct. As you said, the problem is that she’s polarizing in the demo as well, and so they didn’t get to have the cake and eat it.

I still think Cowell has had just as many “unprofessional” moments in his seasons but the audience judges her more harshly than they did him. I’m not saying people should like her or think she’s doing a great job (she’s arguably taken her marching orders like everyone else), just that earlier judges got viewed with rosier glasses.

EB

LISTEN, EVERYONE!!

RANDY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO LEAVE!

I’m throwing a party. Who’s bringing the chips and dip??

http://twitter.com/tinawinabina Tinawina

And he can’t produce worth crap. He can’t even do the basic stuff. He sucks.

EvenMoreron

I’m more inclined to believe The Wrap … but I’ll believe Randy is fired when I see it!

taylor

Nooooo! If Ryan goes, it won’t seem like Idol anymore. There’s no telling how many ~situations he has helped the show avoid over the years. Ryan is the ONE person who does his job, and then some, year in and year out, without missing a beat.

EB

They needed to do this. All of the diva faults and stupidity of Randy, among other things… it trivialized the entire season and took away from the contestants.

And what I believe to be the fixing and fudging of results and swaying votes just the cherry on top. Everyone is at fault, from the producers to the judges that listen to them. Time to get some some new management running it and some judges that won’t make the show about their petty fighting and opinions.

hcpoirot

In a way for FOX Execs to save their own jobs, they need a scapegoat and it is Nigel. What a shame. Human nature always the same everywhere.

There are no dignity or honour to admit your own fault by making idol season 12 the worst season EVER in Idol history rating. Instead the executives blame all on Nigel and save their own jobs.

But this producer job came with the consequences. When Idol had the best rating, few ones praise NIgel. But when it goes south everybody blame him. Tough but its life.

EB

Yeah, if Nigel goes, Ken needs to head out right along with him. Isn’t he the one that stunk up the place in S9 with a lot of bad ideas? :/

amadcow2

The judge wipe was inevitable. ANYTHING to get Randy out of the chair. Nigel is a scapegoat, but Ken Warwick should not go unscathed. An entire reboot, from the ground up is needed.

As for judges, personality and likability are keys, but the MAJOR issue is the ability to give constructive criticism without seeming mean. Also the judges must be consistent and not totally flip flop to adapt to the narrative of the week.

In terms of content, theme weeks aren’t awful, but they have to be current and interesting.

taylor

Like the voice did? It does come off as more professional, doesn’t it?

EB

I better not get overexcited either, but it’s difficult.

http://twitter.com/tinawinabina Tinawina

They won’t do that. The insider said they want their “core demo back”. Expect the show to take a hard turn towards pleasing what TPTB *perceive* to be the tastes of midwestern and southern middle aged and older women, and their teenybopper daughters and granddaughters. Next year will be a country and rock singing WGWG fest. Everyone on the panel will be non threatening and well behaved. Female contestants will be wholesome and pure. Anyone who is not in that mode will be cast as the villain. Mark my words. LOL

http://twitter.com/ladymctech ladymctech

With Nigel getting the boot, I sure hope that somewhere out there, Lee DeWyze is smiling.

standtotheright

The fundamental lesson is that if Reilly “fixes” AI, he can’t rely on Mike Darnell, either. Darnell built up his career on schadenfreude TV, and that leads to more lowest-common-denominator storylines instead of showing who the artists are. He and Lythgoe were/are a dangerous combination, but they’re also plenty out-of-touch on their own.

bridgette12

Or use Paula and JLo go to lines, “you look beautiful tonight, love the outfit”. The judges need to simply state what they feel and stop with the long monologues.

taylor

Remember that time they had a viewer questionnaire on the AI site and when Nigel was asked about it, he said he had no idea what people were talking about? Remember all those times Nigel called Idol viewers idiots or morons? He seems to have a general disdain for the people who, inadvertently, pay his salary. I hope it’s all finally catching up to him.

elliegrll

but the MAJOR issue is the ability to give constructive criticism without seeming mean

I think that this only applies to the female judges, and those who are not white. Coming off as mean and petty didn’t hurt Simon Cowell’s career.

MissMyEm

“All four are gone,” the insider told TheWrap. “They feel they’ve lost their core audience and they want it back.”

Who do they think their “core” audience is? It’s the audience who voted for (their phraseology, not mine) WGWG. I’m confused they would fire Nigel considering it was his baby (or so I thought). If they’re going to fire anyone…it should be Ken Warwick who has been sinking the show for years.

Maybe they should all just pack their bags and go home. More and more I hear people who were avid Idol watchers not watching. Reading tweets, for me, has become more entertaining, rather than informative. If the show were to be cancelled, I wouldn’t cry. From the getgo, the judges have been more judgmental than helpful.

Guest

ITA. Ken is worse than Nigel, IMO.

fuzzywuzzy

From Darnell’s wiki page:

He is currently president of Alternative Entertainment for the Fox Broadcasting Company. He is credited for launching When Animals Attack!, Temptation Island, Joe Millionaire, American Idol, and the cancelled special O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened.

Ugh.

taylor

Good! Fire them all!

elliegrll

The contestants were bad from the start, or at least most of the contestants that they let us see. This is the most talented top three ever, but nothing could have changed the fact that all three, and those who made the top 40 with them, are incredibly boring, and none of them are good reality show contestants.

http://twitter.com/eilonwya10 Eilonwy

Sadly, one of the reasons I haven’t even browsed BevMo or Total Wine for bargains on Veuve Cliquot this morning is that I suspect you’re right.

That reasoning also isn’t going to get the song clearance list out of the 1960s-1980s, except for “modern country,” as logically it’d focus on classic rock.

I’d hope Jimmy Iovine would point out that this isn’t a winning formula for launching a winner who’ll need radio play, but I’m not sure he’s ever understood that there’s a dynamic to the Idol career-launching experience beyond “if we stab blindly at the buttons, the machine will emit Kelly Clarkson or Clay Aiken!”

fuzzywuzzy

I would think that Ken being fired would satisfy Lee more, since Ken was in charge of S9.

http://twitter.com/Lutrell4 Ira

I maintain Nikki was hired to make Idol culturally relevant again, but they did not expect to get Simon 2.0

elliegrll

I don’t think that Kree was bussed, but I agree with a lot of the other things that you said. Kree was given songs that should have allowed her to show more personality, but that’s just not who she is. I think that Kree is talented, and think that she will be more animated once the show is over, but she’s the type of person who never should have been cast. She is just not an interesting person to watch every single week, and the same goes for many of the people who made the top 10, and those who were cut during the semi final rounds. AI just keeps casting these people, which shows that the producers need to be fired.

fuzzywuzzy

“Basic stuff” like bringing the live shows in on time. lol

twodollars

Lots of other things they need to fix too. The crappy band, the cheesy production, the mocking mean auditions, the overdone songs, etc. The show is dated and juvenile. The Voice has a cool factor and experienced and talented contestants with no gimmicky contestants.

fuzzywuzzy

I agree. Nicki was a gamble that didn’t pay off.

elliegrll

Initially the median age did go down, but any benefit that Nicki brought to the show was wiped away by casting people who would not appeal to younger viewers, and making them sing songs that would also drive away these viewers, and that wouldn’t result in any of the contestants getting any type of buzz.

http://twitter.com/tinawinabina Tinawina

I’ve already assumed that nothing will change, and if it does it will be for the worse. I’m in the last Idol stage of grief: Acceptance. It’s over. LOL

nncw

It does make you wonder doesn’t it that this is Candice’s third kick at the can – and now all of a sudden they are saying how perfect she is. Randy shame on you!

http://twitter.com/tinawinabina Tinawina

Precisely. LOL

Da 1 N Only

So that would mean Nigel is potentially (if true) being thrown under the bus. What goes around comes around I guess.

alt28023

Get better contestants overall.

mmb

I like the Voice, but the Voice judges are absolutely there for their own self promotion. No current artist takes one of these judging gigs out of selflessness — and the Voice judges get more performing opportunities than on any other show. The Voice gave Adam Levine and Blake Shelton huge career boosts

Montavilla

You know what, though? I don’t even care about it because this was a great Top Three. I don’t care if we didn’t get cute guys for a year. It’s worth it anything to see Candice slay songs all the way to the finals.

julesb2183

Is this source reliable? I don’t want Nigel to go. I have nightmares of Season 8 & 9 when he was gone…

shell29

I agree, but a part of me feels that the viewers that Nicki might have appealed to had abandoned this show long ago. Any attempts to bring them back were misguided and a bit of “too little too late” IMO. Meanwhile, they pissed off the so-called “core” audience that has taken over this show in recent years by not giving them what they want (and what they’ve had for the past five seasons). What a mess.

http://twitter.com/bluinjewin Landon Cox

Simon isn’t an artist, and didn’t have to worry about ruining his public image

shell29

Yep, you got it. They’ll get their female winner this year and then it’s back to business as usual. Gotta give the “core” audience what they want…cute WGWGs all day. LOL.

gatorgirl5028

Yeah, he sure showed them this season …………

amadcow2

I disagree. Any judge needs to be kind, but firmly discuss the issues associated with a performance. Yes, Simon built his career on his criticism, but that didn’t make him right. The key problem I see is consistency. One thing I did like about Mariah was that in her more lucid moments, she was technically right on point and very consistent. It was the babbling that did her in as a ‘judge’.

http://www.facebook.com/lsfarris Lynn Farris

Actually I liked Keith, I thought he was wonderful and a breath of fresh air. However, I realized the problem when my husband and I decided to watch the voice and record Idol last night so that we could fast forward through the judges (really Nikki and Mariah – they are painful to watch.)

gatorgirl5028

Yeah, but the whole finale fiasco for S10 was Nigel’s baby.

julesb2183

heck yes. fire them.

julesb2183

Yes Ken headed S9

standtotheright

I don’t think they’re boring. I think any contestant who has to hold one’s attention over two hours for an entire season isn’t going to look like a good contestant because that requires the kind of outsize personality that even most professional recording artists don’t have.
I think that they just needed to be supported by letting us show who they were as artists instead of which one had the nicest legs.

http://twitter.com/MeLNotMeL Lemoncello

I loved season 8 lol. Nigel needs to go. The theme nights i’m sure are partly his responsibility and producer manipulation is at it’s peak this year.

julesb2183

No, S8 was the worst for manipulation.

standtotheright

I think they could have appealed to younger viewers if they’d been able to sing the songs that would appeal to younger viewers and given real stylists instead of people who think that the two options for women are “torn skinny jeans” or “sacks.”

irockhard

I’m all for Lythgoe being fired but not if that means Warwick and Frot-Coutaz are staying on. All 3 of them must be fired.

matt89

and yet The Voice is getting duller by the week so far, being reflected by its ratings plummetting

taylor

Shame on the producers (Nigel). They didn’t want to cast a black women, that could possibly win, in seasons 10 or 11. That type of cast member wasn’t in the season script.

taylor

The ratings are not plummeting for The Voice at all. It was the #2 and #3 show last week, while Idol has fallen to #10.

http://twitter.com/tinawinabina Tinawina

And I forgot worship leaders. There will be at least 3 of them . Heh.

http://twitter.com/tinawinabina Tinawina

And I forgot worship leaders. There will be at least 3 of them . Heh.

b_james

Call me crazy, but I don’t see this season’s failures as Nigel’s fault. Wasn’t it Fox that hired Nicki? This season would’ve been just fine without her, in my opinion (and I actually kind of liked her at times…but I know most people did not).

b_james

Call me crazy, but I don’t see this season’s failures as Nigel’s fault. Wasn’t it Fox that hired Nicki? This season would’ve been just fine without her, in my opinion (and I actually kind of liked her at times…but I know most people did not).

http://twitter.com/Lutrell4 Ira

Have you noticed how quiet the Idol inner circle has been? Normally, a show that has spent a decade on the air would have all kinds of “Insiders Tell All” books and articles. With the exception of a few leaks, this ship has been pretty tight. Information that was leaked was more strategic than malicious and vindictive. Wonder why? One reason could be golden-handcuffs. Last season, “American Idol” grossed a leading $836 million in ad revenue.That’s almost a billion dollars folks, and a whole lot of mouths are fed from that trough.

fuzzywuzzy

Oh, I know that, but I think that Ken would bug Lee more since Ken pretty much blamed him and Crystal “hiding behind their guitars” for the disaster of S9. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lee doesn’t mind if both Ken and Nigel are turfed. lol

fuzzywuzzy

Yes, Mariah cared way too much about being “boo’ed”, so she obscured her valid criticisms (which were often good), with PC, treat-with-kid-gloves blathering that went on and on.

gatorgirl5028

I’d take that bet lol

fuzzywuzzy

A pretty sure thing, IMO. lol

http://twitter.com/avrohama aj rabin

I know Im in the minority but Im gonna miss Randy.

fuzzywuzzy

I see Nicki interacting with her fans about Idol on twitter, and it does appear that some are watching, but it’s not enough to compensate for those who aren’t watching because of her. Bringing Nicki in was too little, too late.

taylor

People tuned in to the first three shows to see the promised catfight. When younger viewers realized they weren’t going to see the Kardashians do American Idol, they tuned out. Those types of watchers were never going to watch the whole season or turn into regular viewers in any way.

Nicki drove away Idol viewers, there have been way too many comments about that everywhere, from the very beginning. Nicki was a gamble and it backfired in a big way.

standtotheright

1) Be brave enough to cut the show back to, if not 1 hour, 1.5. Surely there’s a comedy or two other than Glee that can follow the show? And find a producer who can fit the show to that running time.

2) Audition Ester Dean. She’s a songwriter, which gives her some credibility, she does modern pop, which makes her relevant, and she was in Pitch Perfect, which was the kind of saucy-but-ultimately-heartwarming teen comedy that makes her palatable to mainstream audiences.

3) Don’t cast her or anyone else without a screen test. LA has thousands of singers who would be happy to come in for a faux audition. Use them!

http://twitter.com/MeLNotMeL Lemoncello

Yeah, I don’t agree. Season 12 has been the worst, season 10 and 11 weren’t so hot either. Season 8 had its moments, but the contestants were at least free to pick and change the songs that were sung.

perfectstorm

The biggest disappointment is Keith Urban. I’d rather see him go over Randy.

mtlfan2

The fun that the judges have on The voice VS the stupid Nicki/Mariah feud that is poisoning the panel climate ===> that has been seriously hurting Idol imo. People like to have fun also when watching tv.
The other thing that seriously has to change on idol is the song choices; i would put on a pike the head of the one making the selection lolol

Face

assuming any of this rumour is true… then wiping the slate clean and starting from scratch is a great idea in principle…

however the phrase ‘get back the core audience’ has a slightly ominous sound to it (for me)…

it suggests more joke contestant audition, happy clappy read from a script judges, lots of 20-40 year old middle of the road music and the same old contestant ‘types’ being cast… if so, it would all feel like going backward rather than forward…

lovetheusa1776

They would have been fortunate to get a Simon 2.0. With all his flaws, he was a draw – viewers always waited to see what he had to say. Not so Minaj.

bridgette12

Simon could be cruel sometimes, but he wasn’t a ill mannered brat that didn’t know how to act professional in front of the camera. He certainly didn’t show his ass off the camera the way Nicki do. Fans can say anything they want about Simon, but when he was there, there’s not one former Idol that wouldn’t say, he was the one they waited to hear from and feared his critique the most, because he had the most influence with the audience.

standtotheright

Having influence with the audience was based off being pithy earlier in the show’s run. He sure wasn’t “being professional” when he drew a mustache on Abdul in the middle of Iraheta’s performance in S8. I don’t think anything the judges did this year is that dismissive. More manipulative? Sure. But nothing that demonstrated as clearly that doing the job wasn’t worth the time or energy.

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

I think if Keith is put in a friendlier environment, he’d be so much better. There has to be a cool and capable female singer to take over from Mariah and Nicki?

standtotheright

That story would make sense if the first Hollywood round and first Las Vegas round and top 10 episodes hadn’t ticked up in the ratings. There were 14 million people at various points in the season who were checking in for other reasons than a catfight.

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

Now, I enjoyed Seasons 8 & 9. For me, Season 10 wasn’t as much fun. Maybe Nigel would change if he knew his job was at stake? Or maybe he’s going to just focus on the dancing he so loves?

irockhard

Well Nigel decided to make himself the public mouthpiece so it’s no surprise if they’re treating him as their scapegoat.

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

Theme week should include all demographics watching the show. That would include the tweens and teens music as well as the Baby Boomers. I am so sincere about this. Young and old people still watch Idol.

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

This is concise and the post of the day!

Wfish88

Doesn’t surprise me- this season has been a mess on so many levels. I would keep Keith so there’s someone people can remember for next season. Even tho Nigel is not to blame for some of the major problems this season, I think IDOL needs a fresh producer to take the show into the right direction. The females have bad good, but the beyond mediocre males ruined the show.

irockhard

We’ll keep Ryan though I personally wouldn’t mind him being replaced too – with a younger, hotter and funnier host. Honestly, he’s really not the most entertaining host out there. But Randy must go!

H.A.

“They feel they’ve lost their core audience and they want it back.”

So I guess it will be back to business as usual. Look for all Country and WGWG sausagefest.

Valarie

Yes, going backward to 35 million, instead of forward to ‘canceled’. Most would see that as better.

taylor

The auditions started off at a 6.0. (younger viewers checking the catfight out) By the end of auditions and promised catfight viewing, Idol was in the 4s and the live shows with the judges is what really put the nail in the coffin. Not only was their no “drama”, there was no fun, chemistry, sexual tension…ANYTHING! There has to be something on the panel other than four individuals acting independently.

http://twitter.com/ArchieSue ArchieSue

Don’t worry Nigel, they will bring you back when next season plummets even more. it’s not all his fault but some of it is. They cast the wrong people this season just so a girl would win. I rather take 10 interesting people then 5 girls that can sing. Plus the separating of the sexes from Hollywood was stupid. Choosing the groups was not great either. The producers did seem to have too much control this season. I needed my 2 wildcards too and I didn’t get it. Boo!!! Interesting people like Kez Ban, Charlie, JDA, Shubha, Breanna and even crazy Zoanette was overlooked. Where was the fun this season? The excitement? The water cooler moments? Yes we had a few great performances from the girls but not enough for the whole season. I blame the casting and the crappy songs they had to sing. Plus the judges did not help these contestants grow at ALL. Jimmy didn’t help them either this season. What happen to him mentoring them each week with the songs? Did the producers pick all their songs this season? OH well….the season is over, it’s time to fix idol again. GEt 3 good judges and have more modern themes and bring back great mentors. Whatever they do they need to really think it over before they make rash decisions. The best news for me out of this is that JLO isn’t being considered at all. Thank you god, lols. :)

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

Those jean shorts are like a bad nightmare. Wonder what became of the clothing budget?

http://twitter.com/Lutrell4 Ira

Simon, professional, not ill mannered? Bulltwinkle!

From the mouth of Simon commenting on Mandissa’s weight; “Do we have a bigger stage this year?”

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

There are other surveys being sent out. As I mentioned yesterday, I have gotten seven, and from different companies. Sometimes they ask about The Voice or X-Factor. They always have a huge list of questions about American Idol.

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

There are several this year. I see two going right into that CC market.

Face

regardless of any changes they make AI will never see numbers like 35 million again… never….

as for cancelled… even with current ratings that was never going to happen…

Valarie

Do you really think Idol can survive while losing viewers at it’s current rate? It hasn’t even stabilized as yet. No wonder there are no A list musical stars lined up for the finale.

http://twitter.com/HighTensions Jake W.

Finally Randy and Nigel leave. Yay!

LeahKittyS

I don’t care which producers stay and go. I’m a little disappointed because Keith and Mariah know what they’re talking about (Keith is a little too soft and Mariah is way too long-winded) but I’ll be happy to see Nicki and Randy go. As long as Ryan stays it’s all good.

http://twitter.com/galaga6846 Leah Hoffman

Why get rid of Keith? He’s awesome.

standtotheright

That’s the standard pattern. In S11, the auditions started at 7.4 and by the end they were in the 5s. If there was a teaser that Lopez and Tyler were going to have a dragout, I missed it.

http://twitter.com/eilonwya10 Eilonwy

The steepest ratings losses during auditions happened during seasons 6, 7, and 9, and in all three cases, ratings continued to show relatively steep slides throughout the season.

Which judges were touted as having early-season cat-fights in those years?

Face

agree on both counts… Randy doesn’t bring anything unique… Seacrest peaked and plateaued a few years back… this year at times he seemed to be phoning it in…

irockhard

Our opinion on Seacrest appears to be unpopular in the Idol bubble. AFAIC he’s overrated. Cat Deely on SYTYCD for example is way more entertaining.

http://twitter.com/eilonwya10 Eilonwy

And yet viewers are reluctant to tune in to see what Cowell has to say on XFUSA, where the beginning of S1 came in at about half the viewership he’d promised… and things have gone down from there.

http://twitter.com/dam744 Damien Roberts

I think Nicki needs to be honed in, but I can’t believe people actually prefer Mariah over her. At least Nicki judges, I think Mariah is the only sure bet to get the axe as she hasn’t really lived up to her salary (much like Brittany Spears on the XF).

I really don’t think a revamp of this size will really help the show, in fact I think the ratings will just continue to plummet. All this said, the numbers for The Voice and American Idol are ridiculously close. If Fox and NBC could come to some type of agreement where The X-Factor is cancelled, The Voice airs in the fall and American Idol airs in the spring I would be willing to bet ratings for both shows would go up.

jcabby

The judging panel was painful to watch and listen to. Nicki sometimes made me laugh with her comments, but there were times I cringed.

I cringe every time Randy says something.

Keith was a disappointment.

Mariah actually became better as the season progressed. But the Nicki-Mariah cattiness became too much for me to handle.

Ryan Seacrest FTW. The guy never disappoints me. Best in the business of being a host.

A clean slate will be good for the show if they choose knowledgable people with good chemistry. I would try to get Jimmy on this panel. He is ultimately the guy who will sign the singer. Plus, he seems to be good off the cuff.

TV ratings overall have taken a huge nose dive during that period also due to a lot of factors including time shifting, different means of delivery etc. it was still the number one program during most of that period. Season 9 was intentionally killed by Simon for his own self gratification. He’s such a duplicitous prick.

Connie Stamley

As long as he’s a mouth piece for the producers he needs to go too.

Nadine_Bitch

I think after watching how season 12 rolled out, no way other seasons came close for obvious manipulation.

macfae

and yet, here she is in the top 3. I suppose she is interesting enough for a lot of viewers…like me, for example.

Incipit

Connie Stamley, all the judges are mouthpieces for the producers – Jackson is just a particularly unpleasant one.

I know there are a handful of stories of how he helped some contestants over the years – Is that reparation?

lovetheusa1776

Have never watched so don’t know the problem. Do know that situations don’t always translate.

jpfan2

I wonder who’ll they’ll get to replace this crew. It’s going to be very tough to compete with the star power of The Voice. Fox better not try to do Idol on the cheap or S13 will make S12 look like a big win. I really liked HC Jr. Can’t they convince him to be a judge? He and Jimmy I would make a good team.

http://MJO judes

Good, we’ll have Keith back on The Voice in Australia[ although Ricky is great as his replacement]-this show was ideal for him as he was a great mentor- Idol just wasn’t the right show to show how great his musical knowledge is as the judges seem to be restricted to a hands off approach. If there is another Idol season, can they just concentrate on getting a good mix of contestants rather than just a certain type . Whilst the Top 3 are good , they are too similar to make the Finale really interesting.

Larc

However they do it from a money standpoint, they should do it on the quality. A huge name doesn’t necessarily equal that, and a huge paycheck doesn’t necessarily buy it.

bridgette12

I don’t think anyone is going to be fighting to hold on to Keith. He was of no importance on this show, it was all about the Nicki and Mariah, they could have stuck a mannequin in Keith’s place and their contribution would have been the same.

Connie Stamley

No on jimmy. He has his own agenda. I hate how he’s treated Kree the last couple weeks.

EB

That wasn’t really my point, but I disagree. What we wound up with was boring indeed, but prior to that, there was a chance for potential and personality that slipped through the cracks early. The judges/producers got their say and picked safe, bland people lacking edge and charisma, the way I see it.

A lot of people try out for this show and I can’t accept that there weren’t better people in those crowds than what they give us. I really liked a lot of people in the top 40. Maybe they didn’t have enough screentime or a sob story and that was to their detriment on the show, but still it’s disappointing. There was a strong group of girls save for a few, and a lot of guys I actually liked a lot too.

The judges and their choices for the guys… SMH. They gave us quite a lame group to vote into the top 10, yet they can wash their hands of it that way by saying that America chose the top 5 girls and guys but that’s just crap. It’s frustrating and just part of a long, frustrating season. Next season the best talent needs to be chosen, male and female, and we need a competent panel of judges who will know how to discern that and not make the show about themselves. That’s all I’m saying, really. :D

HKfan

no, no, no to Jimmy.

HKfan

no, no, no to Jimmy.

EB

His best selling point will be that he comes cheap.. other than that, I agree… no use hanging onto him.

bridgette12

Sometimes you get what you pay for. If they are going to get another country singer, get one who’s a bit of a bad boy, not another doormat.

EB

In hindsight, Brad Paisley might have been better. He made the right choice not signing on, I’d say.

But he at least would have been like uhhh, yeah, no. at catty Nicki and the hostility with Mariah where Keith’s most annoying habit for me was how he enabled it all season long by laughing at it and seeming to enjoy it.. Randy also. I know it was awkward and seems like a what else can you do a bout it, but I know a stronger personality would have had something to say and do about it.

curly_yenta

I have a better idea……. keep the judges and CANCEL THE SHOW!~

bridgette12

Well Randy certainly wasn’t going to do anything, he was just there to collect a easy check. I think if they had a strong man on the panel that would have blown up on them and told them to act like grownups instead of little girls that it would have been beneficial. They needed a male on the panel with a strong personality to counteract the women’s drama. Keith is not that, he’s mellow and just smiles and pretend that the drama isn’t going on.

mchcat

I loved the season 10 finale

gatorgirl5028

Me ….. not so much.

Goodvibes27

I feel that Nigel mentally checked out of this show months ago. Especially when I saw him tweeting about SYTYCD during a live Idol show. LOL>

http://twitter.com/eilonwya10 Eilonwy

I’m talking about within each season, not over the whole 10-year period.

S6, S7, and S9 all had steep declines throughout the audition episodes and again throughout the voting rounds. That is, they showed the same pattern as S12 has during the auditions and STEEPER drops than S12 has during the voting rounds.

It makes no sense that those seasons — or even S6 and S7 — would be uniquely affected by time-shifting and internet TV over the course of just four months each year, particularly as neither phenomenon was as widespread then as it became in later seasons.

http://www.facebook.com/mary.s.shepherd Mary Sumner Shepherd

“1) Be brave enough to cut the show back to, if not 1 hour, 1.5. ”

Yes, bring it back to an hour – except maybe the first round when they have 10-12 of each boys and girls, and a half hour for the results show. Two hours requires too much filler and gives the judges too much time to blather.

http://www.facebook.com/mary.s.shepherd Mary Sumner Shepherd

Randy’s been phoning it in for years. It’s time for him to move on. Mariah and Nikki were an unpleasant side show this season that overshadowed the talent. Nikki has some promise early on but wore out her welcome. I like Keith but I think he would have made more of an impact if he didn’t get stuck being the scratching post for the divas.

I don’t know what’s going on back stage but I’m not sure it’s all Nigel’s fault. The judges terrible chemistry was the biggest problem this season, and that’s on Fox, not him.

THE SONG LIST IS STALE and getting staler. If there are hundreds of songs to choose from, why is it the same themes, same 40 year old songs, same old, same old all the time. I mean, I’m old and like the classic rock and old school soul here and there, but I’d like more fresh songs. They did have some new songs last night, but it was a little too little too late.

Kitwana

If Idol wants a panel with chemistry, ability to give real criticism, not obsessed with promoting selves, and be genuinely and spontaneously funny, it should use Howard Stern, Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel. I don’t really like AGT, but their judging panel worked.

http://twitter.com/kterp101 Kathy Terpstra

The reason that the Voice is doing well is chemistry between the judges. they tease and seem to have fun together. No great talent has come out of the show. So need so fun judges who work well together and enjoy being there. I suggest they get Adam Lambert and Kris Allen together.. They are both so different they would have widly different views and yet they could joke with each other and everyone likes them

Gale T

I absolutely agree. But I don’t think Nigel Lythgoe was responsible for that awful pairing.

Gale T

Yes John, any of those you suggested would be fine. I heard they may hire Justin Bieber, Pink, and Selena Gomez. I don’t mind Pink but if they hire Bieber and Gomez I will definitiely stop watching American Idol after I’ve watched it since the beginning.

albean99

I’m already about to give up Idol but that would do it for sure. I liked Keith this season but can’t stand the rest.

Morgan Williams

This is funny because this year was supposed of being the fixer. They can’t fix the main turnoff of Idol.

Morgan Williams

This is true.

Morgan Williams

Yeap, totally agree.

Morgan Williams

Yeah, some watch but alot tweet her also with why you doing that show. Same go for Mariah but she had already decided to quit anyway. I guess that’s why Nick Cannon been speaking on the situation. Basically he pretty much said Mariah was going to quit.

Morgan Williams

She ran the viewers of past 5yrs away but those old viewers that return those 1st couple of weeks and new viewers left again for other reasons.

Morgan Williams

Adam and Blake wasn’t struggling to maintain their relevance in the industry. Neither are Usher or Ceelo. The Voice don’t tear contestant down they allow us to decide if we heard a bomb note. Bomb notes/pitch is subjective nowadays, I love some cutie P2 but some say he had alot of bomb notes but I call that his style and tone, which I love.

http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

Does this mean Prince will not be on the show?

Axxxel

Yeah, the producers were really rooting for a Danny Gokey versus Adam Lambert finals… but then came dark horse Kris Allen with his “moments” late in the competition… and Danny is out…